Stopper for milk-cans.



No. 662,782. Patented Nov; '27, I900.

' A. B. FISHER.

STOPPER FOB MILK CANS.

(Applicgztion filed July 5, 1900.)

(No Modpl.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT Tricia.

ALVAN B. FISHER, OF RUTLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FREDERIO B. STEARNS, OF SAME PLACE.

STOPPER FOR MILK-CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,782, dated November 27, 1900. Application filed July 5. 1900.7 Serial No. 22,560. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALVAN B. FISHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rutland, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Stopper for Milk-Cans, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawings, is a specification sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable persons skilled in the art IO to which this invention appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my present invention is to provide an improved stopper or means for the closure of metal cans and similar vessels,

more especially such as are employed for transportation of milk, and of that class wherein the stopper is kept continually within the can; also, to provide an internal closing-stopper that can be properly cleansed and conveniently manipulated when in use, as

more fully hereinafter explained.

The minor objects and features of the invention are set forth in the following detailed description, the particular subject matter claimed being hereinafter definitely specified.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a sectional view of a milk-can and its internal closing-stopper, illustrating my invention. Fig.

1 shows a section of the mouth-lip on larger scale. Fig.2 is a top plan of the mouth of the can with the stopper therein. Fig. 3 represents a diskwise section through the stopper at line 00 m. Fig. 4 shows a side view of the stopper; Fig. 5, a transverse section at line Y Y. Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the manner of flotation; and Fig. 7 shows a modification in form, illustrating a stopper as made with a handle or knob on each side of the disk.

The nature of myinvent-ion consists in constructing the can or receptacle with an inwardly-projecting bead, ledge, or ofiset within the neck thereof and in providing an internally-closing stopper made of impervious or water repellent material and rendered buoyant by a chambered or hollow interior, said stopper being impounded or confined within the interior of the can, but free to float in the manner specified upon the liquid contents when the can is filled and adapted to be turned and drawn upward within the neck against the said ledge or offset for securely closing the mouth of the can in the manner illustrated.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A designates the milk can or receptacle, which may be of the ordinary or any suitable shape and having a neck 2 of substantially cylindrical form. Around the interior of the neck, at or near the mouth, I provide an inwardly-pro jecting head or flange 3, presenting on its under side an annular offset or ledge, as best shown in Fig. l Said ledge may be close to the mouth or at a short distance down in the neck.

My improved stopper consists of a diskshaped body 13, constructed of hard or comparatively firm vulcanized rubber or some similar suitable impervious or water-repel- 7o lent material. This stopper is made of a diameter that will fit the interior of the neck 2 of the can below the ledge 3, which diameter (see dotted line, Fig. 2) is sufficiently greater than the opening through the circle of the ledge to prevent the stopper escaping from the interior.

The stopper is composed of thin upper and lower disk shells 4t and 6, integrally united with a solid rim or outer circle 5, and is thus formed hollow or with an interior hermetically closed air-chamber or chambers 7 of sufficient capacity to render the stopper buoyant or floatable in common liquids L, as water, milk, &c. The buoyancy and gravity are preferably arranged or adj usted so that the stopper will float at a com paratively high level and the chamber 7 and solid materialso disposed as to give preponderance at one edge or, by a counterweighting 8 near one side, to 0 cause the stopper to float edgewise or with its side edge uppermost, as illustrated in Fig. 6, so that the stopper will always assume a prev determined position when in use.

The stopper-if formed of a partially-flexible 5 material, as spring-rubber, is best braced and reinforced by a stiff skeleton or spider frame 9, that supports its periphery in position and prevents distortion of the disk to a degree that would allow it to pass the mouth-open- I00 ing. When made of hard rubber or similar rigid substance the skeleton reinforce may, if so desired, be omitted.

The stopper is provided' with a handle or handles 10, integral with the disk face and projecting therefrom. Said handle is preferably flexible to be bent toward one side or the other. (Seedotted line, Fig. 5.) A'hole or holes 11 are best provided therein, as shown. A brace or tie 12 connects the upper and lower disk shells 4 and 6 at or near the center.

When the stopper-body is formed of hard substance, I prefer to provide thereon a pcri pheral rim-facin g 13, of soft elastic material, integrally united to the circular rim '5 of the body'and forming an inseparable part thereof without any intervening joint,cleft, or fissure, said elastic .portion being disposed asbest shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 7.

The exterior of the stopper is made smooth,

with rounded corners and without sharp inward angles or crevasses therein, so that it can be readily cleansed by rinsing and scalding, and no unsanitary accumulation of matter will adhere thereto.

In its operation the stopper B, being loose within the interior of the can A, becomes cleansed and scalded by the cleansing and scalding of the interior of the can. When the .milk or other liquid L is filled into the can, the stopper floats upon the surface (see dotted lines, Fig. 1) until its uppermost edge is presented at the mouth or neck'2 as the can becomes filled. Thestopper is then taken by its handle 10, turned to a horizontal position, and drawn up close beneath the lip or ledge 3, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, thus securely closing the neck by internal closure. For opening the can the stopper is pushed inward at one side, which turns its disk to vertical position in the neck-passage or forces the entirev stopper down the can. In either case the contents may then be poured from the-can.

Although this stopper is intended for use in cans that are completely filled and emptied. at each successive act, it may sometimes be used otherwise, and the stopper may be readily raised in a partially-filled can by means of a hooked rod caught into the hole 11 in the handle 10, and thus drawn up to theledge 3, as above specified.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a form in which the stopper may be made if it is desired to have a handle or knob 10 on each side of the disk or body. In this the skeleton frame 9 is provided with a headed center bar 15 for supporting and strengthening the necks of the handle-knobs.

I am aware that fioatable bottle-stoppers of different construction have heretofore been devised and described in several prior pat ents; also, that fioatable bottle-stoppers have been weighted to keep them in endwise upright relation. I do not, therefore, claim such tially having a preponderance or weight at one side of its circle, whereby said stopper is caused to assume'an edgewise upward position when floating, as shown and-described.

2. Aninternalclosing-stopperfor-cans,com-

.posed of water-resisting material, such as .imlia-ru'bbelgand comprising upper and lower disk-face portion-s, an interior hollow or air chamberfor floating said stopper, a solid circumferential rim, and provided with a rigid or stiff skeleton frame embedded within said rim, substantially asset forth.

3. An internal closing-stopperfor cans,consisting of a flat circular discoidal body of impervious material embodying an upper and lowersurface-shell united by a solid peripheral rimtportion, and central brace, and having a hermetically-closed interior :hollow or air chamber, rendering saidstopper buoyant, acounter-weight embedded in and inclosed'by said body material at or near one ed ge and a handle integral upon the disk face, for the purposes set forth.

4. An internalclosing-stopper for cans,con1- prising the hollow, float-ablediscoidal-shaped body having a-solid peripheral rim or edge circle made of comparatively hard rubber or .non-pervious material, said circle provided with an integral peripheral edge facing of soft elastic material inseparably united to and forming a part of the rim-circle without any intervening joint fissure or crevice, substanas shown and described.

5. The combination with a sheet-metal milkcan having a cylindrical neck provided with the inwardlyprojecting annular lip, lining head or offset within the neck-opening; of

the floatable internal closing-stopper consisting of the circular discoidal body composed 1 of upper and lower disk shells integrally united with a solid peripheral rim adapted to fit within said neck; said stopper counterweighted to float edgewise upward, and provided upon its disk face with an integrallyunited handle, said stopper being exteriorly smooth and devoid of joints or creases, substantially as shown and described.

Witness my hand this 2d day of July, 1900.

ALVAN B. FISHER.

Witnesses:

OHAs. H. BURLEIGH, FREDK. B. STEARNS. 

